Therapy And Counselling: How To Find The Right Mental Health Support

Did You Know?

In a survey conducted by the Mental Health Foundation, 74% of the population in the UK reported feeling stressed in the past year, which left them feeling overwhelmed and incapable of coping.

Now, let us consider an interesting aspect.

Why Women Aged 35–55 Are More Prone To Mental Health Issues? 

Women aged 35-55 face intense and often contradictory sociocultural pressures that put significant strain on their mental health. This stage is often associated with overwhelming work – domestic, professional, and caregiving. This furball of responsibilities is simply too much to expect from one single individual.  

• Balancing Multiple Responsibilities: It is common to find this age group engaged in productive activities: working in employment, taking care of children, managing the house, and sometimes attending to aged parents. This “sandwich generation” burden offers them absolutely no time for their own needs or desires, and their unchecked daily demands lead to stress and chronic fatigue.  
• Hormonal Changes and Menopause: Perimenopausal women often report angry outbursts, breathtakingly high anxiety levels, and significant depressive symptoms. Difficult emotional states tend to co-occur with severe fatigue, lack of sleep, and sedentary lifestyles.  
• Invisible Emotional Labour: In most families, the management of schedules, remembering important dates and birthdays, and providing emotional support from family falls on the shoulders of women. And regionally, conceptually, and structurally, none of this mental work is recognised as work. In the end, women can become emotionally exhausted from providing too much care for the family.  
• Career Pressures and Workplace Stress: This age group struggles with trying to balance demanding full-time work and family responsibilities. The burden of gendered discrimination, unequal salaries, and juggling work and personal life all contribute to their day-to-day mental stress.
• Social Expectations And Midlife Transitions: During midlife, women generally undergo some changes to self-identity, goals, and fulfilment. Societal expectations around beauty, ageing, and success can contribute to feelings of self-doubt and anxiety.

Such factors make women between the ages of 35 and 55 susceptible to these issues, underlining the need to implement support frameworks such as therapy and counselling.

Know When To Seek Help

In life, we tend to normalise struggles, hoping they will eventually resolve themselves. But, when you notice signs such as:

• Chronic weariness or irritability over trivial things
• Difficulty falling asleep, remaining asleep, or waking for prolonged periods of time
• Cyclical negative moods with irrational hopelessness or unfounded desire
• Feeling disengaged or apathetic to once-engaging and enjoyable activities

If those sound familiar, it’s a cue to seek professional assistance. Many first-attempt meditations and self-help literature to help—these are great tools, no doubt—but once those methods stop working, more sophisticated and professional healing becomes necessary.

Understanding Therapy And Counselling

A primary area of results when searching for help is what differentiates therapy from counselling. Even though both terms are used interchangeably in casual statements, they are distinctive.

What Is Counselling?  

Counselling or Counselling Psychology is provided with a goal in mind. It assists one with the concern which is giving one difficulty, like  

• Stress from work
• Relationship issues
• Grief and loss

Practitioners pay attention to what is troubling their patients. They provide them with relevant and clear coping plans to assist them in stepping through challenging situations. 

Usually, the sessions are organised and solution-based. Thus, for an individual who requires help right away instead of navigating through deep emotions, this is the ideal choice.

What Is Psychotherapy Or Therapy?  

Therapy (or psychotherapy) looks at processes and emotional actions in detail. It tends to cover components that are deeply rooted, such as childhood or trauma.

It is useful for:

• Anxiety and depression
• Long-standing self-esteem issues
• Trauma and unresolved emotional pain
• A pattern of negative behaviours or interpersonal relationships repeatedly

Unlike counselling, a psychotherapist helps patients uncover the concerns that bother them instead of only the active discomfort. The healing process accompanying self-exploration could take many months or even years.

Selecting Based On Your Needs 

In the same way you would select a surgical instrument to match the severity of an injury, receiving proper support for mental health issues requires some forward thinking. For example, a deep ‘cut’ will not heal with a very small patch. In the same way, different concerns will require different specialist attention.

If a person faces low or moderate forms of stress, has been in a relationship which did not work out, or has grief, counselling fits the purpose best. Counselling is designed to relieve stress and foresee greater future challenges immediately. Set sessions enable clients to attain their objectives within a stipulated time frame.

If the issue is related to ongoing emotional distress, past trauma, or problematic behavioural patterns, therapy is the go-to option. It assesses the thoughts, emotions, and other components that create the current state of mind.

When finalising decisions, do not forget these pointers:

• Nature and Type of Issues: Counselling is recommended for superficial and immediate issues on the surface, and therapy should be the go-to for deeper emotional issues.
• Timeline: For patients hoping to resolve their concerns in a matter of days, counselling is ideal. Emotional therapy is the preferred option for patients looking to undergo sessions over an extended period. 
• Personal Comfort: The presence of specific goals divided into manageable sessions can be very helpful for some people, while others benefit from deeper self-reflection. 
• History: Long-lasting mental problems or past trauma might mean that therapy gives a more comprehensive approach. 

Regardless of the paths taken, therapy and counselling provide profound benefits that lie somewhere between relief and clear-headedness, enhancing one’s resilience towards the challenges of life.

Overview Of The Most Common Types Of Therapy  

Once you decide to seek help, you can take advantage of numerous therapeutic approaches. This variety is overwhelming, and knowing what each method entails makes the selection far more approachable.  

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)  

• If you have ever found yourself stuck in a spiral of negative thoughts, CBT may be ideal. This practical approach is used to break the anxiety and depression cycle by overcoming habitual, unproductive thinking and is widely endorsed by NHS practitioners.  

Psychodynamic Therapy  

• Have you ever considered how your past affects your present? Psychodynamic therapy helps with understanding unresolved issues from early childhood and unconsciously repeating patterns. It is an ideal option for people who wonder why they feel or act in a particular manner.  

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)  

• MBCT combines elements of CBT with structured mindfulness by encouraging staying in the present moment, helping reduce stress and relapse into depression. If you struggle with an overactive mind and emotional flooding, this method could benefit you.

EMDR Or Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing

• This is one of the most effective therapies for trauma. EMDR helps people go through painful memories and lessen their emotional charge. This technique has become widely used in the UK and the US, especially in patients who suffer from PTSD.

Integrative And Humanistic Therapies

• Some have a more relaxed and client-friendly approach that uses different strategies depending on what you need. These therapies often aid individuals in self-exploration, the exploration of interpersonal relationships, and digging deeper into the meaning of existence.

How To Choose The Right Therapist Or Counsellor

Finding a therapist is like finding a personal trainer for your mind: it requires a fair bit of research to get the ideal match. Just like you wouldn’t engage with a life coach without knowing their methods, the same applies to mental health professionals. Finding the’ right’ therapist for you may seem like quite a daunting task, but believe us, with the right help, you can decide with full confidence.  

A good working relationship with one’s therapist is always a sign of successful therapy, and scoring the best therapy outcome is among the most powerful indicators. You should feel safe, understood, and comfortable with the option. All in all, don’t rush and make sure you look for someone who is a good fit in every way, from your values to your needs.  

Credentials, Experience, And Specialisation  

As per their country, therapists should have the proper licensing and credentials. In the UK, check for therapists who are registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). In the US, professionals should hold LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) and/or LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) licensure.  

Questions To Ask Before Committing  

Before starting therapy, important questions should include:

• What’s your approach to this treatment?
• Do you have past case studies with my specific issues?
• How frequently do you recommend sessions?
• To put it simply, the right therapist will always help you feel safe, understood, and supported.

Practical Issues  

• Session Format: Online therapy provides convenience, while physical sessions may yield stronger therapeutic bonds.  
• Costs: Investigate your insurance plan or look into services provided by the NHS to determine coverage.  
• Scheduling: Confirm that the therapist can maintain a consistent schedule for the sessions.    

Did You Know

Heard about how Prince Harry has candidly shared his experiences with therapy? He noted, 

His words have done wonders to shift the conversation around mental health and encouraged a lot of people to seek help.

Complementary Approaches: How Ayurveda And Yoga Can Support Therapy

The holistic system of Ayurveda considers mental health to be the balance between three internal qualities of the mind: Sattva (clarity and harmony), Rajas (activity and restlessness), and Tamas (inertia and darkness). Disharmony within these qualities can result in several emotional issues like anxiety, depression and stress.  

To restore balance, Ayurveda recommends lifestyle changes, diet, and herbal medicine. Some herbs help attain the required levels of mental clarity and emotional stability and achieve the desired balance.

• Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri): Boosts cognitive processes and helps in relaxation.  
• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): Reduces the stress hormone while improving coping abilities.  
• Shankhpushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis): Eases relaxation yet increases the clarity of the thought process.  

The Gut-Brain Connection  

Modern science recently discovered a connection between the brain and the gut. Ayurveda, a centuries-old healthcare practice, had already established this connection long ago. That’s astonishing, isn’t it?  

Both agree that one’s digestive system must be well taken care of in order to maintain good brain function. In Ayurveda, good digestion is seen as the cornerstone of health. If digestion is not functioning properly, the body slowly becomes a host to various toxins that defeat one’s mood and even one’s cognitive functions.  

To enhance one’s mental health along with proper digestion, one may:  

• Eat nourishing food in the form of freshly made and warm dishes.  
• Make probiotic-rich fermented vegetables and buttermilk.  
• Avoid a junk diet as it leads to mental sluggishness, also called Tamas.

Read The Gut-Brain Connection: How Your Gut Health Affects Your Mental Well-Being for a better understanding.

Self-Control Through Yoga And Breathwork  

Pranayama and yoga are very effective practices for emotional stability. Forms of yoga practice mitigate psychosomatic disorders such as stress, anxiety, and depression by helping to achieve self-regulation of the autonomic nervous system.  

• Restorative Yoga poses: Balasana, which is Child’s Pose; Savasana, which is Corpse Pose; and Viparita Karani, which is legs against the wall pose. These poses are calming and restorative.  
• Pranayama Techniques: Nadi Shodhana and Bhrahmari or “Humming Bee Breath”. These techniques help improve clarity and relieve anxiety.  

At Nirva Health, we believe in integrating all the facets of health for one’s well-being. This is achieved through holistic coaching, which concentrates on the following:  

• Routine and Structure: Balancing everyday tasks into a sensible schedule.  
• Emotional Self-Care: Mindfulness exercises or journaling.  
• Yoga and Ayurveda: Profile-based recommendations.  

Patients who seek therapy alongside these holistic strategies tend to experience more effective and enduring healing.

Wrapping It Up

Maintaining your mental health is caring for yourself, and it is not regarded as a weakness. It requires self-awareness, and it is an indication of strength. Similar to how we make preparations concerning our physical well-being, caring for our emotions and mental health is a vital investment in living a meaningful and balanced life. Therapy or counselling can greatly benefit people, whether they are going through daily stress or battling childhood trauma.

On your journey towards healing, you can always rely on therapists, counsellors, and coaches. They can assist you in overcoming emotional challenges that impede your mental clarity, helping you find purpose and navigate through your increasingly complicated mental landscape.

Remember, you have the right to peace. You have the right to comfort. You have the right to support. You have the right to flourish in life. 

Therefore, if you are thinking about moving forward with conventional therapy or if you would like to explore the option of holistic healing, it is always a good time to make the first move. 

Looking after your mental health is not just a luxury, but rather, your inherent right. You must strive to look after it and nurture it.